A method of this type is described in German Patent Application No. DE 39 30 157 A1. It is used for camshafts of internal combustion engines. When such an angular adjustment of a camshaft is employed, the opening and closing angles of an intake or exhaust valve of the internal combustion engine can be adapted to the particular operating situation of the internal combustion engine. In the conventional method, a hydraulic control system is used for angularly adjusting the camshaft position in relation to the crankshaft. To that end, as a function of two hydraulic chambers acting in mutual opposition, the camshaft is linked to a setting element driven by the crankshaft. The position of the camshaft relative to the setting element changes depending on the hydraulic volume that is adjusted in the one or other hydraulic chamber. A hydraulic valve controls the charging of the hydraulic chambers with hydraulic fluid. The hydraulic valve is driven electrically by a control and/or regulating device.
Problems can arise under certain operating conditions of the internal combustion engine when the position of the camshaft is angularly adjusted in relation to the crankshaft. For that reason, such a camshaft adjustment is only enabled by the control and/or regulating device under certain predefined operating conditions of the internal combustion engine. When the angular adjustment has not been enabled, the adjusting element is mechanically and/or hydraulically retained in a defined locking position. The actual angular position of the camshaft is recorded by a sensor and used in the control and/or regulating device for ascertaining the air charge in the cylinder and for ascertaining the ignition angle.